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As a law enforcement officer, you know that having the right people in the right roles can be a matter of life or death. A police officer with empathy, courage, flexibility, dedication to their community and a commitment to justice is able to save lives and preserve the safety of their community. For such a vital responsibility, you need a resume that showcases your skills and passion. We’ll help you write one!
With the help of some easy-to-follow instructions on how to write a resume and some excellent resume examples to get you inspired, writing the perfect resume is easier than you might think.
Here, you’ll learn exactly what you need to know to write an impressive police officer resume in a matter of minutes. Keep reading to learn more about:
- Examples of resumes for police officer applicants with and without experience.
- What makes a police officer resume example great.
- Tips and tricks for writing a resume for a police officer.
- What to include in every section of your police officer resume.
- How to choose the right resume template and format for the role.
If you want a custom-made resume built in just a few minutes, try our professional Resume Maker. This tool provides step-by-step help writing every section, along with expert-written advice, suggestions and tips.
Police officer resume example
What makes this a great police officer resume sample?
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It’s goal-oriented.
This candidate has somewhat limited experience because she is at the start of her career. Because of this, she uses her career objective to discuss her aspirations. This demonstrates her genuine passion for law enforcement.
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It emphasizes soft skills.
Much of the essential hard skills for a police officer are earned through training after being hired. That’s why this candidate is making the right choice by emphasizing her un-teachable skills like critical thinking, honesty and composure.
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It uses numbers.
Although this candidate’s experience is limited, it leaves a strong impression thanks to the numerical data that she uses to convey her impact.
What makes this a great police officer resume sample?
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It highlights experience.
This candidate is a seasoned law enforcement officer, so emphasizing experience is a great way for him to put his best foot forward.
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It features certifications.
A police officer’s job involves a lot of complex situations with very serious consequences. This candidate has an array of certifications that prove his ability to adapt and handle anything that the job throws his way.
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It emphasizes conflict resolution.
Skills like “active listening,” “community awareness” and “integrity” demonstrate this officer’s commitment to upholding the peace and safety of his community.
Choose the right resume format for your police officer resume
To land the job you want, you need to get the right information in front of a recruiter. How do you accomplish that? By selecting the right resume format.
- Experienced applicants should consider a chronological resume format to highlight work experience and a strong career progression.
- Applicants with little to no experience should consider using a functional resume format.
- Midlevel applicants with three to five years of relevant experience should consider a combination resume format to showcase a balance of skills and work experience.
Visit our guide to learn more about how to format a resume to highlight your candidacy.
Select an appropriate police officer resume template
While every resume template will have the same basic sections — a professional summary or resume objective, skills, work history and education — you can customize the look and feel of your resume by selecting the right template.
More artistic careers may benefit from using creative resume templates, but for police officers, we recommend something simple and professional. A modern resume template is perfect if you’re in the market for something sleek and stylish. If you’d rather stick with the basics, our simple templates may be just what you need.
How to write a police officer resume in 5 simple steps
While there are some basic rules for writing a great resume, top candidates for competitive police officer jobs know that the key to getting noticed is to write a resume that is specific to the industry and the role they seek.
Let’s break down how to write an interview-winning resume, step by step.
Step 1
Study the police officer job description
These days, a resume often has two audiences. The second is the hiring manager or recruiter offering the job, but the first is the applicant tracking systems (ATS) that the employer uses.
These systems screen candidate resumes for keywords and often filter out resumes that aren’t a good fit based on those keywords. To succeed in your job search, you need to impress the ATS to ensure that a human lays eyes on your resume. To make your resume ATS-friendly, you’ll need to closely read the job description and pay attention to the qualifications listed.
Those are your keywords. Pay close attention to the ones that are repeated multiple times and look out for specific phrasing choices. Making sure that your resume matches nicely with the listing is an easy way to give yourself a leg up. Just make sure that you don’t lie about any qualifications. You should actually have any skills listed on your resume.
Step 2
Write a professional summary or resume objective
Depending on your level of experience, your police officer resume should include one of two different kinds of resume profiles. Your resume profile is your chance to introduce yourself and your qualifications. You should choose the resume profile style which plays the most to your individual strengths.
Candidates with less experience should choose a resume objective, which focuses on broad transferable skills and goals for professional development. Applicants with more direct experience in law enforcement should use a professional summary, which summarizes your career highlights.
Here are some strong examples for your police officer resume:
Police officer professional summary example:
Dedicated and seasoned police officer with 13 years of comprehensive law enforcement experience. Adept at upholding the highest standards of public safety, crime prevention and community engagement. Proven track record of successfully handling complex and high-pressure situations with a calm demeanor and sound judgment. Skilled in fostering positive community relationships through effective communication and collaboration. Committed to maintaining law and order while ensuring the rights and well-being of all individuals. Continuously seeking opportunities for professional growth and development within the field of law enforcement.
Police officer objective example:
Aspiring police officer with a strong educational foundation in law enforcement and a passion for maintaining community safety. Eager to apply newly acquired knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to a law enforcement team. Committed to upholding the law, promoting public trust and fostering positive community relationships. Seeking an opportunity to launch a fulfilling career in law enforcement with a focus on continuous learning and professional growth.
Step 3
Highlight your most relevant police officer skills
Regardless of your experience level, your law enforcement skills will be one of the number one things that police departments will look for on your resume. Skills for a police officer resume should be added to your resume skills section and included throughout your descriptions of your experience and training.
In any job, it’s critical that you provide employers with a solid mix of hard and soft skills. Hard skills are the measurable skills needed to perform a job. These are the technical skills that you earn through training and experience. Soft skills, on the other hand, are more closely related to your personality traits. They aren’t as “teachable,” but they’re equally important, especially for law enforcement officers who interact with the public in extremely high stress situations.
In such scenarios, knowledge of the law is important, but conflict resolution and communication is equally vital, if not moreso. Below, we provide a side-by-side list of hard and soft skills to help you see the difference between the two.
- Forensic techniques
- Report writing
- Criminal law knowledge
- Evidence collection and preservation
- First aid and CPR
- Emergency response procedures
- Communication
- De-escalation
- Community engagement
- Leadership
- Patience
- Conflict resolution
Here is an example of a strong police officer skills section:
- Strong knowledge of criminal law process
- Diligent and detailed report writing
- CPR certified emergency response professional
- Empathetic and community-driven with an eye for conflict resolution
Law enforcement may not be customer service, but it is community-facing. As a police officer, you deal with the general public on a daily basis. This means that your soft skills are vital to your daily responsibilities. Highlight your ability to manage stress and de-escalate tense situations for a resume that shows your most essential soft skills.
Step 4
Write a strong police officer work experience section
While the required background and experience will be different for each role, the key to getting noticed is writing a work experience section that demonstrates what you will bring to the table.
Start by listing your previous work experience in reverse chronological order to tell the story of your career thus far. Your roles should be explained using bullet points that are action-packed with active language and data to demonstrate your impact.
Here is an example of a great police officer work experience entry:
Police Officer, Clayton Police Department
Clayton, CA
May 2018 – September 2022
- Conducted investigations into 50+ criminal activities, leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of suspects.
- Responded to over 200 emergency calls, effectively diffusing tense situations and ensuring public safety.
- Enforced traffic laws, issuing 150+ citations and warnings to enhance road safety.
- Collaborated with a team of 15 officers and detectives to gather and analyze evidence, contributing to an 82% case resolution rate.
- Delivered presentations on crime prevention and safety to local schools and organizations.
- Trained five new officers in defensive tactics, firearm safety and arrest procedures, ensuring a well-prepared team.
- Assisted in executing search warrants and securing crime scenes, maintaining the integrity of evidence.
- Conducted routine patrols in high-crime areas, significantly deterring criminal activities.
- Completed 40+ hours of training annually to stay updated on evolving law enforcement practices.
- Received commendations for outstanding crisis management and teamwork.
- Demonstrated unwavering dedication to upholding departmental values and ethics in all interactions and decisions.
Make your career achievements stand out by using action words, data and metrics to capture the attention of a hiring manager.
Step 5
Showcase your education and training on your police officer resume
To be hired as a police officer, you’ll need to show employers that you have the required education and training. Education standards for police officers in the United States are not standardized, but most police officers begin their careers with a high school diploma.
After applying to a department, they typically accept applicants into their police academy training program which involves several hundred hours of physical, mental and emotional preparation for a law enforcement career.
How to list your police officer education:
Education:
High School Diploma
Diablo Valley High School
Concord, CA
Certifications:
Peace Officer Certification | Contra Costa County | 2016
Firearms Certification | Contra Costa County | 2014
Because much of a police officer’s training is in-house, the certifications that follow you from one role to the next can be huge assets. Anything from CPR or first aid to the safe handling of drugs can be important certifications to list on your resume.
Optional sections for your police officer resume
Awards and certifications
Awards and commendations show that your career has had a positive impact on your community. Include any accolades you’ve earned in their own special section to draw attention to the highlights of your career.
How to list awards on your police officer resume:
Outstanding Service Award | Clayton Police Department | May 2021
– Recognized for consistently going above and beyond in handling emergency situations and maintaining public safety.
Community Engagement Achievement | Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Council | September 2019
– Honored for leading community outreach initiatives and fostering positive relationships between law enforcement and residents.
Projects
Projects are a great addition to your resume because they show you’re capable of using theoretical knowledge in real-world situations. It’s one thing to learn something in class — it’s another thing to put the ideas into practice.
Projects are also a tangible demonstration of the types of skills — from problem-solving and time management to teamwork and leadership — that are valuable to employers. Not only that but also a relevant project can highlight your long-standing passion and expertise in a given subject.
How to list projects on your police officer resume:
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Neighborhood Watch Enhancement Program
- Led the implementation of a comprehensive neighborhood watch program aimed at improving community safety.
- Collaborated with community leaders, residents and local businesses to establish effective communication channels and reporting systems.
- Organized workshops and training sessions to educate community members about crime prevention strategies and fostering vigilance.
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School Safety Partnership Initiative
- Coordinated a joint effort between law enforcement and schools to enhance campus security and safety.
- Developed emergency response protocols, conducted lockdown drills and provided training to school staff on crisis management.
- Established open lines of communication with students and parents, fostering a sense of security and trust within the educational community.
Languages
Communication is one of a police officer’s most vital skills. The citizens who you’re responsible for protecting will likely speak a diverse array of different languages. Being multilingual means that you have a greater ability to communicate with all of them. List any additional languages you speak in their own resume section to highlight this valuable asset.
How to list languages on your police officer resume:
- Fluent in English and Spanish
- Proficient in Russian
Interests and hobbies
Adding hobbies to your resume is appropriate as long as they’re relevant to the job. They offer an opportunity to show your personality and meaningfully connect with a potential employer. Plus, they emphasize your transferable skills, like creativity or leadership — qualities you take from job to job.
For a police officer, these hobbies should highlight things that transfer easily to police work. Volunteer work, community outreach and physical fitness are all great things to highlight in this section.
How to list interests and hobbies on your police officer resume:
- Passion for hiking and rock climbing
- Dedicated volunteer for youth mentorship programs
- Avid practitioner of mindfulness meditation
Add a cover letter
Adding a police officer cover letter to your application can help you stand out. Your cover letter gives you an extra opportunity to communicate with employers and explain why you’re a great fit for the job.
Learning how to write a cover letter is an important step to give your resume the best chance of succeeding. A police officer cover letter should highlight some of your biggest career achievements as well as your important responsibilities and your core values. Study our cover letter examples to learn how to express your unique candidacy in a compelling way and how to format your cover letter for success.
Or, if you want a job-specific cover letter in a matter of minutes, use our professional Cover Letter Builder, which offers professionally written text suggestions for every section. Use the wording as-is or customize it to suit your needs.
Key takeaways for your police officer resume
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Follow our steps for a standout resume:
Take care to write all five sections of your resume in a way that is specific to the job you seek. Your professional summary, skills, work experience and education section should all contain information that is targeted to the job ad.
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Select the appropriate resume format:
Decide what you’d like to emphasize the most on your police officer resume — strong skills, an impressive work history or both — and then select the template that will help you put your best foot forward.
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Be specific to the role:
Use specific information from the job ad rather than generic resume filler when crafting your document. Again, a well-written job description will tell you the critical credentials you must emphasize on your resume.
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Include both hard and soft skills:
Being a police officer requires a mix of technical and personal skills to do the job well. Study our list of hard and soft skills to be sure that you include a balance of both types in your resume.
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Make your work experience section shine:
Accomplish this by using action verbs, data and metrics to show the impact of your work.
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Choose an appropriate resume template:
As we previously discussed, a police officer resume template should be simple and professional. Choose something that is easy to read and shows off your strengths.
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Go the extra mile:
Including a well-written police officer cover letter can increase your chances of landing a job interview.
Commonly asked question about resume writing
Hailey Brophy is an experienced writer with a diverse career in digital publication. She is passionate about using her unique skills and experiences to help job seekers find the information that they need to succeed.
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